The
major theme of my group’s research is the development,
characterization, and application of highly automated and miniaturized
instrumentation for the analysis of environmental pollutants. We are
particularly interested in techniques that provide advantages such as
minimal sample preparation, monitoring of multiple target species, low
detection limits, and the ability to rapidly screen large numbers of
samples in the field. We utilize both GC/MS and Direct Sampling Ion
Trap MS (DSITMS) to monitor gases, volatile organic compounds, and
pesticides in air, museum artifacts, and consumer products. Our recent
work in this area has focused on the use of Solid Phase
Micro-Extraction (SPME) for rapid sampling of volatile species and the
development of custom DSITMS sample introduction systems to lower
detection limits of this technique into the part-per-trillion range. We
have also been active in pioneering the use of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)
for FDA applications such as the determination of toxic elements in
Asian patent medicines and investigation of consumer complaint cases. I
also serve as a science advisor for the FDA and am actively involved in
the oversight of remediation efforts at the Hunters Point Shipyard in
San Francisco.